Tree-bundling machine.



2 SHEETS- 8KB?! 1.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911;

I A. N. JOHNSON. TREE BUNDLING MACHINE. APPLiGATION TILED MAY 26,1910.

N r I 1 1 NN h N WlJhWlnvento'r Attorneys Witnesses A. N. JOHNSON.

TREE BUNDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY26, 1910. I

Iatent ed Apr. 4, 1911.

Inventor Attorneys ANDREW -N. JOHNSON, OF B A GLEY, MINNESOTA.

TREE-BUNDLING. MACHINE.

Specification o! lietters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed May 26, 1910. Serial an. $63,589.

To all whom it may concern: H

Be itknown that'I, ANDREW N .Jomwson,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Bagley, in the county ofGlearwater and pose t State of Minnesota, have invented a new and usefulTree-Bundling Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application, is a machineadapted to receive trees, of the sort which are commonly emplo ,ed forChristmas decorations, to distr'ees into bundles, and to wra each bundleabout with a securing ban the operation of bundling the trees, and theoperation of wrapping them being carried out by co-acting devicespreferably operated by a common mechanism.

It is the object of this invention to provide novel means for bunchingor bundling trees, to provide novel means for wrapping the trees aboutspirally, with a securing band, to provide means adapted to receive,

. the bundles after they have been bound up,

' vi'de a means for binding thebundles about with a securing band, toprovide a means for receiving the bundles after they are thus bound, andto provide a device operative at once to actuate the binding means andthe meanswvhereby the bound up bundles are received. i

The drawings show typical embodiments merely, and 1t is to be understoodthat changes, properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, maybe made, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

. In the drawin ,Figure 1 shows the in-" vention in side e evation; Fig.2 is a transanism is located.

, Broadly speaking, the invention com-' verse section upon the line A-Bof Fig. 1 Fig; 3 is a transverse section upon the line 0-D of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a transverse sec-' tion upon the line E -F of Fig. 1; and Fig.5 is an endelevation, showing that end of the machine upon which theactuating mechin Fig. 2,

prises four c'o-acting mechanisms; a bunchmg mechanism; a mechanism forapplying a band tothe-bundle; a device adapted to rece1ve the bundleafter it isbound up; and an operatingmechanism. These four cooperatinstructures may be sup orted in any de sire or suitable manner. stance,in order to present a compact structure, and in order totconnecttheparts so that the machine as an entity may readily be moved about, Ihave shown parallel sills 1, connected by a lurality of cross sills 2.Rising from the sills 1, adjacent one end thereof, are legs 3, uponwhich the bunching table 4 is supported. A transverse member in thepresent instance shown in the form 0 abox 5, is rested upon the sills 1and secured thereto, front of the bunching table 4. Rising from thesills 1 adjacent one end therenfilare end standards 6, intermediatestandards 7 rising from the'sills -1 between the vend'standards 6 andthe box 5.

Supported upon the bunchin table 4 is a hopper 8 which may be of anyesired form. This hop er ,8 is disposed in a substantially horizontaposition upon the bunching table, and is a funnel shaped structure,comprising two yieldable parts 100 and 101, the remote edges of whichare secured to the bunching table, as shown at 104, the adjacent edgesof the parts 101 and 100 overlapping,

n the present in- I as seen at 105. Secured to the parts 100 and 101,are brackets 102. A retractile spring 103 is extended transversely ofthe hopper 8, the end of the spring being securedto the brackets 102.Obviously, the brackets 102 may be applied to the ho per at an desired.points between itsends, t e retracti e spring 103 being in position toexert its efforts at the oint between the front and reardesired ends oft e hoper. This hopper 8 is adapt- ,ed to receive t 1e trees which areto be bun dled, and the retractile spring 103 serves to telesco e theparts 100 an 101 transversely, t ereby compressing the trees intocompact form. Risin from-thebunching table 4, in front of the opper 8,are pairs of supports 9, alined transversely of the bunching table. Inthisesup orts 9, are, as seen most clearly L? shaped, arcuate members,the

parallel arms 10 of which extend through the supports 9. The free endsof the arcuate members are disposed toward each other,

adjacent the longitudinal center of the machine..- Rotatably supportedbetween the free ends of the arms 10 of each of the arcugive to theroller, roughly speaking,. an hour-glass outline. A finger 12 projects.

' from the curved portion 14 of the arcuate member, this finger 12 beingslidably mounted in one of the supports 9. Itetractile lvelieal springssurround the curved portions 14,

and likewise surround the fingers 12, these' springs which are denotedby the numeral 15, beingconnected with the outermost pair of the uprightsupports 9.

By referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be seen that spaced,'curved arms16 are secured, at their'lower ends, to, the side walls of the box 5. A'horizontally disposed roller 17, positioned in front of the rollers 11,is terminally journaled for rotation in one pair of the curved arms 16.Adjacent their 1 lower ends, and slightly above the upper edge of-thebox 5, the arms "16 carry shafts 18, upon which are placed groovedwheels 19. The upper ends of the'arms'16 are connected, longitudinallyof the machine, by

ties 20. An arcuate bar 21, seen most clearly in Fig. 3, connects theties 20. Depending from this bar 21 is a hanger 22, in

which is journaled for rotation, a wheel 23,

similar to the wheels 19, the several wheels being located in a commonvertical plane;

'The box 5 and the arms 16 constitute a supporting member for a ring 24,the same being mounted for rotation in the wheels 19 and 23. This ring24 will be referred to hereinafter as the carrying. member, for thereason that it supports aplur'alityof bandholders, each band-holderincluding a tubular casing 25 secured to the inner surface of thecarrying member 24, to project radially toward the center thereof. Theremay be twoof these casings 25, disposeddiametrically opposite to eachother. In each casing, a reel 26 is j'ournale'd for rotation, the reel26 being held under check by a suitable ten sion device of any sort; thesame being shown conventionally in Fig. 3, and there denoted by thenumeral 27. It is upon these f reels 26thatthe securing bands,wherebythe bundles of trees are bound, are located. The securing band isordinarily a heavy cord 28, shown in"Fig. 3 as extending from the reels26.

Passing now to the mechanism whereby the carrying member 24 is rotated,it will be seen that a drive shaft 29 extends longi- I tudinally of themachine, this drive shaft being held for rotation in bearings 30, placedupon the cross sills 2, or upheld in any other suitable manner.Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that a sprocket wheel 31 is securedto the shaft 29 within the contour of the box 5. A sprocket chain'32 ispassed about the wheel 31, this chain being extended around theperiphery of the carrying member 24, in a suitable groove, fashioned.therein. In order that any slack in the sprocket chain '32 may beremoved, an idle pulley 35 is brought to bear against the said sprocketchain. This idle pulley 35 maybe advanced against the chain in anymanner appropriate to the end sought. If

desired, transverse guides 33 may be mounted in the box 5, and in theseguides 33, a rod 34 may be mounted for longitudinal sliding movement,the pulley 35 being 'journaled for rotation upon one end of the'rod. Therod 34 may .be advanced and retracted by means of adjusting nuts 36 orthe like, bearing a ainst one end wall of the box 5. .The

shaft 29 may-carry, adjacent its ends, fiy' wheels 37.

Adjacent that end of the machine which is remote from the "hopper 8, atransverse shaft 39, disposed substantially at right angles to the driveshaft 29, is journaled for rotation in a bearing 4O r1sin-g from one ofthe cross sills 2, and in one of the end standards 6; or any. othersuitable means for mounting the shaft 39-fo-r rotation, may be employed.This shaft 39 is operatively connected with the ,drive shaft 29, bymeans of beveled pinions 38. Journaled for rotation in the upper endsofthe standards 6, is an auxiliary shaft 41. Upon the auxiliary shaft,is a sprocket'wheel 42, al ed vertically with a sprocket wheel 43 uponthe shaft- 39, a sprocket chain 44 being passed about the wheels 42 and43. The ends-of the auxiliary shaft 41 protrude beyond the "standards 6in which the shaft is. mounted.

Upon one of the protruding ends of the auxiliary shaft 41, there is asprocket wheel 45, alined vertically with a sprocket wheel 47, mountedupon a stub shaft 48 which is held in one of the standards 6. A sprocketchain 46 connects the wheels 45 and 47. Upon the stub shaft 48, beyondthe sprocket wheel 47, is mounted a pulley 49, adapted to receive a belt50, the belt 50 forming an operative connection between the treebundling machine and a prime mover of any sort. The oppo; siteprotruding end of the. shaft41, may be provided with a crank 51; andthus, through the instrumentality of the crank 51 andthe pulley 49, thedevice may beoperated either manually, orby a gasolene engine or thelike.

A lever52 is fulcrumed upon one of the crosssills 2, the lever 52serving to operate a clutch 53 located upon the shaft 39; the lever 52obviouslyserving as a means for throwing the machine into and out ofgear.

gaged in a sprocket wheel 56 carried by a roller 57 journaledfor-rotation in the intermediate standards 7. A bar 58 is provided,

having hooks 59 and 59' in its ends, and the hook 59" may be engaged inthe links of the is put into motion, the auxiliaryshaft 41' will berotated, the sprocket chain 44 se-' curing a rotation of the shaft 39,and the beveled pinions 38 transmitting rotary motion to the drive shaft29. -The drive shaft 29 will rotate the sprocket wheel 31, the sprocketWheel 31 engaging the s rocket chain 32, the chain 32, being passe aboutthe periphery of the carryingin'iember' 24, causing the said carryingmember to rotate in the wheels 19 and 23. v

The rotation of the auxiliary shaft 41 will put into motion the sprocketchain 55, the roller.57 being rotated, through the instru mentality ofthe chain. It will be seen, moreover,- that when the bar 58 is hookedinto the chain 55, the bar will be dra an toward the shafti4l,-as thelatter is rotated.

The trees which are to be dis osed in a bundle are placed upon the buncing table 4 and passed into the .hopper 8. A suitable lashing is passedabout the butts of all of thetiees which are to constitute the bundle.

- The bar 58 is then extended through the "center of the carrying member24 and between the rollers 11, and hooked'at one end into-the lashing.The other end of the bar 58v is then hooked into one of the links of.

the sprocket chain 55. The machine is then put into operation, throughthe instrumentality of the crank 51 or the ulle trees which are to form.the bund e are thus drawn between the rollers 11, which said rollers,being actuated toward each other by means of the springs 15, will serveto dispose the trees intoa compact bundle, the rollers 11 constitutingyieldingly co-acting compression members e'obperatin with thehorizontally disposed roller 17 to form what, for convenience, may bedenominated the launching or bundling mechanism.

As the rotation of the auxiliary shaft 41 is' continued, the trees,fashioned into a compact bundle, will move between the rollers 11 andbeneath theroller 17, the butts of the trees passing within the contourofthe carrying member 24. When the butts are well within the contour ofthe carrying member, the ends of the cords 28 are made fast to the treesadjacenttheir butts, butbe tween the lashing with which the hook 58 isengaged, and the tips of the trees.

- A continued rotation of the auxiliary shaft 41 will serve to draw thebundle of trees through the carrying member 24, and

will likewise cause thecarrying member 24 to rotate, the band-holdingelements, comprising the casings 25 and the reels 26 being revolvedabout the bundle of trees and it IS drawn longitudinally ofthe'machine."

Thus, the trees, having been bundled to.- gether, will be wrapped aboutwith a pair of 49. The' s iral bands extended fromlja point adjacent thebutts of the trees, to a point as near the tips thereof as the operatormay desire.

When this wrapping has been carried to the desired point, the cords 28are severed, and their free ends united about the bundle. Obviously, asthe bundle of tree's 'is drawn through the carrying member 24 the buttsof the trees will-be received upon the roller 57, which said roller,being actuated by the sprocket chain 55 will serve to aid the bar 58 inadvancing the bundle of trees through the carrying member.

When the bundle has passed over the hook 59. Moreover, the. hook 59. isin serted upwardly'through the chain 55; As the chain 55 moves towardand around the sprocket wheel 54, the hook 59 will engage the sprocketwheel 54 and-be forced downward and out of engagement with the chain 55.Thus, there is no chance of the hook 59 bein bound between the chain 55and the sproc ret wheel 54.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. -In a deviceof the class described,- means for bundling the material transversely;'means foradvancing the materiallongitudinally; and means for winding aband spirally about the material as it is advanced. v

2. In a device of the class described, means forv bundling the materialtransversely; means for advancing the material longitudinally; means forwinding a band spirally aboutthe material asit is advanced; andmechanism for operating simultaneously the advancing means and the bandwinding means.

3. In a device of the class described,

means for compressing the material transversely; means for applying asecuring band about the material; anda device for drawing the materiallengthwise through the compressing means to fashion the material into abundle, and for advancing the bundle with respect to the band-applyingmeans to receive successive convolutions of the band. a

. 4. In a device of the class described, bundling mechanism; aband-holder revoluble about the bundle formed in said mechanism; andmeans for advancing the bundle with respect to the bundling mechanismand the I band holder.

5. In a device ofthe class described, yieldably co-acting compressionmembers; means vice; and a for advancing the material between thecompression members; and means for winding a securing band about thematerial subsequent to its passage between the compression membersand-while the material is moving under the impulse of the'advancingmeans.

6. In a device of the class described, mechanism for advancing thematerial; means for applying a securing band about the material duringits advancement; and movable means operable by the advancing mechanismto .receive the material subsequent to the application of the securingband:

7, In a device of the class described, means for applying a securingband about the material; a device for operating the band-applying means;and a member actuated'by the operating means to advance the.

material'to receive successive convolutionsl spect to the rollers.

of the band. I

8. In a device of the class described, means for applying a securingband about the material; a device for operating the band-applying means;a roller positioned to v receive the material subsequent to theapplication of the-band; means for operatively connecting the rollerwith the operating dedevice connecting the roller-operating means with,the material to advance the material with respect to the band-applyingmeans.

.- 9. In a device of the class described,

means for compressing the material transversely; a device for applying aband to the material; a roller to receive the material subsequent to theapplication of the band;

I operating mechanism effective at once to actuate the band-applyingdevice and the roller; and means actuated by the operating mechanism toadvance the material with respect to the compression means and theband-applying device.

' 1O. In a device of the class described, yieldably co-actingcompression members; means for-applying a band to the materialsubsequent to its passage between the com pression members; a roller toreceive the material subsequent to the application of the band; meansfor actuating the band-applying means and the roller; and a device foradvancing the material with respect to the compression members and theband-applying means to dispose the material upon the roller. 7 g v 11.In a device of the class described, .a centrally open, rotatably mountedcarrying member; a band-holder located upon the carrying member; meansfor rotating the carrying the material through the carrying member.

112. In a device of theclass described, a rotatably supporting ring;means upon the. ring. for applying a band to the material;

means for advancing the material through the ring to receivesuccessiveconvolutions of I to the first named r ollers; .ing thematerial across the rollers;

member; and means for advancing the band; and an operative connectionbetweenthe advancmg means and the ring to secure a rotationof thelatter. 7 13. Ina device of the class described, a support; a centrallyopen carryingmember disposed within the contour of the support;

anti friction means disposed between the support and the carryingmember; 1 a band holder located upon the carrying member; means forrotating the carrying member; and means for drawing thematerial throughthe carrying member.- v

1&1. In a device of the class described, parallel, yieldably co-actingrollers; a fixed roller disposed substantially at right angles means fordraw.-

means for applying a band in, a continuous length to the material as itis moved with re- 15'. In a device of the class described, a centrallyopen, rotatably mounted carrying member; a band-holder located upon thecarrying member; a drive shaft disposed substantially at right angles tothe plane of the band-holder and operatively connected therewith;mechanism remote from the band-holder for operatingthe shaft;

and a device operable bysaid mechanism for advancing the materialthrough the carrying' member and toward the operating mechanism.

16. In a device centrally open, member; a band-holder located upon thecarrying member; a drive shaft disposed substantially at right angles tothe plane of the band-holder and operatively connected therewith; anauxiliary shaft supported for rotation substantially at right angles tothe drive shaft; a flexible member passed about the auxiliary shaft;means for connecting the flexible member with the materialto draw thesame through the band-holder; and means for operatively connecting theshafts; v a v 17. In a device of the class described, a drive shaft; anauxiliary shaft supported for rotation substantially at right angles tothe drive shaft; a flexible member passed about the auxiliary shaft;means for connecting the material with the flexible member; means foroperating the shafts; and revolving means operatively connected with ofthe class described, a

the drive shaft for applying a band in a 7 ported parallel thereto; 'aband connecting the shaft with the roller; a connecting memher havingelements for removably engaging the band and the material to advance thematerial upon the roller; means for applying a band in a continuouslength to the marotatably mounted carrying terial during itsadvancement; and an operative connection between said means and theshaft. v

19. In a device of the class described, a bunching table; a hopperthereon; yieldably coacting vertical rollers supported upon the bunchingtable in front of the hopper; a horizontal roller supported in front ofthe vertical rollers; a centrally open, rotatably mounted carryin memberdisposed in front of the horizontt l roller; a band holder located uponthe carrying member; and means for advancing the material betweentherollers and through the carrying member, to receive successiveeonvolutions of the band.

20. In a device of.the class described, a bunching table; yieldinglyco-aeting, vertical rollers upon the table; a supporting member locatedin front of the vertical rollers; a horizontal roller journaled forrotation upon the supporting member; a centrally open, carrying membermounted for rotation in the supporting member; a bandholder mounted uponthe carrying member; means for rotating the carrying 'member; and meansfor advancing the material bctween the rollers and through the carryingmember, to receive successive convolutions of the band. Y

21. In a device of the class described, a bunchin table; supports risingtherefrom; arms s idable in the supports; rollers mounted upon theadjacent ends of the arms; resilient means for actuating the arms tomove the rollers toward each other; means for advancing the materialbetween the rollers; and means for ap lying a band about the material asit is a vanced.

22. In a device (if the class described, a

- bunching table; supports rising therefrom;

arcuate members having parallel arms slidable in the supports; rollersdisposed between the free ends of the arms of each of said members;retractile springs surrounding the curved portions of the arcuatemembers and connected with the supports; means for advancing thematerial between the rollers; and means for applyin a band about thematerial as it. is advancec.

' 23. In a device of the class'described, a bunching table; a funnelshaped, horizontally disposed hopper thereon, and comprising yieldableparts united at their remote edges with the table and having theiradjacent edges overlapped; a retractile sprin extended transversely ofthe hopper an having each of its ends secured to one of the hopperparts; means for drawing the material through the hopper; and means forapplying a securing band to the material subsequent to its passagethrough the hop- In testimony that I claim the foregomg as my own, Ihave hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

